Pensions and allowances to rise from 20 September
From 20 September 2023, some veterans and their families will receive an increase to their pension payments in line with increases to the cost of living. You don’t have to do anything to receive the increase, it will automatically be applied to your payment.
The first full payment at the new rates of pension will be payday 19 October 2023.The pension paid on payday 21 September 2023 is not affected as it covers pension entitlements for the fortnight to 18 September 2023. The pension for payday 5 October covers entitlements for the period 19 September 2023 to 2 October 2023 and will be paid partly at the old rate and partly at the new rate.
The maximum rate of single service pension will rise by $32.70 to $1,096.70 per fortnight and the maximum rate for couples will increase by $24.70 to $826.70 per fortnight (each).
The Special Rate of Disability Compensation Payment (T&PI payment) will increase by $53.00 to $1,729.20 per fortnight. The Extreme Disablement Adjustment (EDA) rate will increase by $28.60 to $933.20 per fortnight and the 100 per cent General Rate of Disability Compensation Payment will increase by $18.40 to $600.30 per fortnight.
The pension paid to war widow(er)s will increase by $33.80 to $1,116.30 per fortnight (including the energy supplement), while the ceiling rate of the income support supplement will rise to $331.40 per fortnight.
Certain benefits under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA) will also increase. The weekly MRCA wholly dependent partner payment will increase by $16.90 to $558.15. This is paid fortnightly ($1116.30).
The indexation factor used to index pensions each March and September can be based on either the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the Pensioner and Beneficiary Living Cost Index (PBLCI) or Male Total Average Weekly Earnings (MTAWE). For 20 September 2023, the indexation was driven by PBLCI.
For more information on the new pension rates, call 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372).
New pension rates from 20 September 2023
|
SERVICE PENSION |
Old rate (fortnightly) |
New rate (fortnightly) |
Increase (fortnightly) |
|
Single person |
$1,064.00 |
$1,096.70 |
$32.70 |
|
Couples (each) |
$802.00 |
$826.70 |
$24.70 |
|
Single person – transitional |
$887.60 |
$906.80 |
$19.20 |
|
Couples (each) – transitional |
$716.10 |
$731.60 |
$15.50 |
|
WAR WIDOWS |
|
|
|
|
War widow(er)’s pension |
$1,082.50 |
$1,116.30 |
$33.80 |
|
Income support supplement |
$321.10 |
$331.40 |
$10.30 |
|
DISABILITY PENSION |
|
|
|
|
T&PI (Special rate) |
$1,676.20 |
$1,729.20 |
$53.00 |
|
Intermediate rate |
$1,111.30 |
$1,146.40 |
$35.10 |
|
EDA |
$904.60 |
$933.20 |
$28.60 |
|
100 per cent |
$581.90 |
$600.30 |
$18.40 |
|
10 per cent |
$65.12 |
$66.96 |
$1.84 |
|
VETERAN PAYMENT |
|
|
|
|
Single Person |
$1,153.50 |
$1,189.70 |
$36.20 |
|
Couples (each) |
$899.30 |
$927.60 |
$28.30 |
|
MRCA* |
|
|
|
|
Wholly dependent partner payment |
$1,082.50 |
$1,116.30 |
$33.80 |
|
Special Rate Disability pension (SRDP) |
$1,676.20 |
$1,729.20 |
$53.00 |
These are the maximum rates of payment and include any Energy Supplement payable.
The first full payment at the new rates will be the payday 19 October 2023.
*Note that the MRCA payments in the bottom two rows are the fortnightly amounts, not the weekly amounts.